All At Once
by quackers102
Summary: Jim Kirk fell madly in love when he was 16, so what made him into the womanizer he became? Kirk/OC
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story to post on this site, so I'm sorry if I'm doing this wrong somehow. This isn't my first story ever to write, but I wanted to post it for some reason. It's not even my favorite story I've written.**

**It's gonna be pretty short, only five or six chapters. It expands over two years, and moves pretty fast. I didn't get into too much detail over the two years, just highlighted the main events in Jim and my OC's lives when they knew each other. So yeah, I hope you enjoy it and hope you review! Criticism is accepted, because I'm just posting this to see if anyone likes it more than I do. Because as I said before, this isn't my favorite story I've written, but I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek. **

**All at Once**

_Chapter 1_

James T. Kirk lay atop the pile of hay, casually gazing at the stars. His unnaturally blue eyes skimmed the sky, and he let a slight sigh escape his lips. His mother was home for once, and only God knows how long she was going to stay.

"You know, you sure do stare at the stars a lot. Plan on joining Starfleet one day?"

Jim nearly fell off the pile of hay in his shock. A light, tinkling laugh filled the air and he glanced down at a girl who was standing there, looking up at him.

The girl looked extremely small from his position on the hay. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts that were extremely short, a red plaid button down shirt, and a leather jacket that seemed entirely too large on her. It practically swallowed her small form and hung lower than her actual shorts did, reaching her knees. The girl had short, dark brown hair with large, coffee brown eyes that were staring curiously up at him. Her skin was lightly tanned from the sun, and she looked all too familiar to Jim.

"You know, this is private property." Jim snapped, upset that she had snuck up on him.

"Funny, my dad said the same thing when he realized someone was stealing his beer from our farm."

Jim stiffened, realizing she must be the daughter of the farmers from the neighboring farm. He had been sneaking over there and stealing beer for a few months now.

It hit Jim then. He knew where he knew this girl from. She had been in most of his classes at the high school that he unhappily attended last year. Hell, she had even sat next to him in English and he hadn't realized until now. What was her name? Tori?

"Jim, right? Jim Kirk." With surprising gracefulness, she bounded up the pile of hay and sat right next to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jim asked, watching her lean back casually and avert her gaze to the stars.

"Don't worry, I won't tell my dad that I know." She responded simply, avoiding the question.

Jim relaxed a bit, leaning back to resume staring at the stars. "So, are you planning on joining Starfleet?" The girl asked again.

"I don't know." He responded.

"I think it'd be amazing. To fly with the stars, you know? They're so beautiful from down here, think of what they'd look like up there."

Jim glanced over at her face. She was smiling contentedly up at the stars as if she hadn't a care in the world. He was surprised by how small she really was, she almost looked _frail_, like he could snap her in half with his fingers.

"So are you gonna say something else, or just sit there?" She asked, giggling at his surprised expression.

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

"Tell me about yourself, Jimmy."

He winced at the nickname. The only person who ever called him Jimmy was his mother, and he didn't even like it when she called him that. "Umm…weren't we in the same classes last year?"

"Sure were. My name's Tori, in case you can't remember. School starts tomorrow, you know. We're gonna be juniors!"

"Yeah," Jim responded simply. She seemed thrilled by the prospect of going to school tomorrow, but he was much less than thrilled. True, it was a good way to escape from his home, but he'd much rather escape by laying out here, gazing at the stars, like he did every summer.

"You aren't being very talkative." She said.

"Well, it's not like you were exactly invited over here."

"I was lonely. Don't you long to talk to someone when you're lonely?"

Jim was never lonely. He _embraced _being alone. He loved it. Sure, he liked the company of his friends at times, but at others, being alone was preferred. He didn't like being around his mother, because he knew it hurt her. He was the spitting image of his deceased father, and every time she looked into his eyes, she saw his father. She could hardly stare him in the eyes anymore.

So to prevent from hurting her any farther, he stayed away.

"Anyways, I've heard the stories about your dad. That was really brave, what he did."

"Yeah."

"Surely it makes you want to join Starfleet? To be like him, you know."

"No, not really."

Tori propped herself up on one elbow to look over at him. "You really need to work on your people skills, you know."

"You really need to learn not to trespass."

She laughed again, and Jim found himself grinning. "Come on, Jimbo, let's get to know each other. We _are_ neighbors, after all. We could be best friends! I've never had a best friend."

Jim turned to look at her face again. It was bright, her eyes twinkling, a smile gracing her pixielike features. She genuinely looked happy to be alive. "Alright, you go first."

"Umm…alright. Well I was born and raised here in Iowa, boring I know. I think it'd be awesome to join Starfleet one day, but I don't know if my parents will let me. They're a bit overprotective, you know? It gets annoying, but oh well."

"Why are they overprotective?"  
Tori shrugged. "I suppose because I'm their only child. I dunno. Ok, your turn."

"Um, born in space, raised in Iowa."

"Born in _space?!" _Tori laughed. "Did that do something to your head?"

"No!" Jim said indignantly, before he realized she was joking. He laughed it off, and then continued. "Um, I don't really know what I want to do after high school. Maybe Starfleet."

"Well that's cool. Hey, you know what'd be awesome?! If we joined Starfleet together."

Jim laughed at her overexcited expression. "Yeah, I guess."

"Anyways, I better get home. Overprotective parents equals unhappiness when I'm out late. See you tomorrow, Jimmy!"

Before he could even speak, she had bounded off the bale of hay and disappeared over the fence separating their property.

Jim stood up on the bale of hay with a smile on his face. Tori's happiness seemed to be contagious, and for some reason he found himself eager to see her tomorrow. Jim climbed into his window that could be reached from the hay he stood on and slipped into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, so here's chapter 2. I had a couple people but this story on their alerts, which I greatly appreciate, but I'd appreciate it even more if you guys review! Because sadly, I have no reviews. But hopefully I'll at least get one!**

**This chapter's pretty short, by the way**

**Disclaimer: Star Trek isn't mine**

Chapter 2

The next morning when Jim hopped onto his old, rusted bike with his bag slung over his shoulder, he was surprised to see Tori at the gate to his farm, waiting for him. "Hey, do you think I could grab a ride? My parents are busy." She said, grinning.

"Um, sure. Hop on."

Tori eagerly hopped onto the back of his bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. Again he noticed how frail she seemed.

They sped to their high school, which wasn't too far away, and he parked in his usual spot. The campus was already filled with the students trudging their way through the front doors, dragging their feet in hope that if they went slower, school would start later.

Jim took the keys out of the ignition and hopped off, helping Tori climb off after him. He couldn't help but notice how her legs slightly shook when she landed on them, but they stopped after a few seconds. "We're upperclassmen!" Tori said excitedly, taking a deep breath with a smile. "This is great!"

Jim laughed, deciding not to point out she looked to be the same age a sophomore would be. She grabbed his hand and led him to the front door to grab their schedules.

There weren't too many people in the same school, so it was pretty likely they'd be in all the same classes, but nonetheless Tori snatched his schedule to compare. "Hmm…" She said, running a finger down each of their schedules in comparison.

"Well?"

"All the same classes except for one." Tori grinned happily, handing his schedule back to him. "C'mon, we got chemistry first."

"Oh goody." Jim said sarcastically, but she ignored him, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hall.

They entered the classroom and took seats next to each other.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day passed quickly enough, and Jim met Tori outside the school to take her home. Their last class was the one that they didn't share, so he eagerly waited for her to join him. When she walked out the doors, her face split into a wide grin at seeing him. He returned the smile, and she ran to his side, hopping on the motorcycle.

Jim got on in front of her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist immediately. They zoomed off down the road, people turning to watch the pair leave the school. "That was fun!" Tori said to him over the sound of the bike.

"Yeah, I guess." Jim responded, a little less enthusiastic than Tori was.

"Gosh, you need to lighten up."

Jim laughed, and Tori laughed with him. They continued to speed down the road until they came to the gate to Tori's farm. "Hey, do you think you could drive me to the front door? It's such a long way." Tori said, smiling hopefully at Jim.

"Sure."

He drove her all the way down the country road to her house, and she thankfully stepped off. Her legs wobbled, like they had before, and for a second Jim thought she was going to fall over. He tensed, but like before, her legs returned to normal and she smiled up at him after a long, drawn out sigh.

"Thanks, Jimbo."

At that moment the door to Tori's house opened, and a woman that Jim could only guess was Tori's mother came out. "Oh, hello, who's this?" Her mother asked.

"Mom, this is Jim Kirk. Our neighbor."

"Oh! Pleased to meet you." The cheerful woman said, reaching forward to shake his hand.

Jim politely smiled. "You too."

"Thanks for giving her a ride. Her father and I were a bit tied up this morning."

"Oh, anytime."

Tori's eyes widened and her face tore into her trademark grin. "Really? Maybe we could ride together every day!"

Jim smiled, glancing at her mom to see if it was alright with her. She had said they were overprotective, after all. "That's alright with me." He said.

"Um, well, I suppose if you don't mind. We are neighbors." The woman said with a happy smile. "You know, Jim, I'm cooking supper tonight. Would you like to join us? As thanks, anyway."

Tori grabbed his arm, still smiling, her eyes twinkling. "Come on, Jimmy, please?"

Jim glanced over at his house that he could see over the fence. It'd be a good excuse to stay away from his stepfather for a little longer.

"Yeah, that'd be great."  
Jim followed Tori, who literally skipped to the front door, with a grin on his face.

After dinner, which had surprisingly been fun, Jim climbed onto his bike and rode home. He climbed onto the hay and into his room through the window, not quite feeling like dealing with his stepfather at the current moment.

Tori's family was all like her. They took any opportunity as an opportunity to laugh and smile and joke, and treated Jim as if he was a member of the family. Even her father, who had been suspicious of Jim stealing his beer, was friendly.

Jim turned off his light and stripped off his shirt and pants, climbing into bed. This was the second time in a row he fell asleep with a smile on his face, and both had to do with Tori.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A light knock came at Jim's window, and he bounded over to unlatch it, already knowing who it was. Tori climbed in, Jim helping her, and sat down at his feet, grinning up at him.

Almost a year had passed since they had met on the stack of hay underneath his window. Now they were the best of friends, practically inseparable. It was hardly ever just Jim or just Tori, it was Jim and Tori.

"I hope my parents don't find out I'm over here."

Jim winced, thinking about the last time Tori's father found out that she had snuck out. He had gotten verbally abused by her father for at least an hour. "Oh well, that's your problem if I do." Tori laughed when Jim turned to glare at her.

"Thanks, Tor, thanks."

"Anytime, Jimbo. But I wanted to say Happy Birthday, since I haven't seen you all day."

Jim groaned, rolling his eyes. "Happy? Birthdays are hardly happy."

"Well they're supposed to be, you know."

Jim glanced down at his feet. He had never had a happy birthday before. It was just a reminder to his mom that his father had died on this day, never a reminder that it was his birthday. His mom cried this day. She cried all day, not coming out of her room.

"I got you a present, Jimmy." Tori grabbed his hand and led him to his window.

Jim groaned. "You really didn't have to."

"Well, seeing as it is your first birthday present ever, I wanted it to be special. Look." She pointed out the window, and Jim gasped.

There, sitting next to the bales of hay, shining in its glory was a brand new bike. "You didn't…"

"I did!" Tori squealed.

Jim's fingers fumbled at the latch to his window, and he finally got it open, hopping out and onto the hay, then sliding to his bike. Tori followed him, all the while smiling brightly.

His fingers brushed the bike. It felt smooth underneath his hand; no rust, no peeling paint. He sat on it, gripping the handles and smiling widely. He glanced over at Tori. "You really…this must've been so expensive…I can't believe…"

"Don't worry about it, Jimbo. It's practically a present to myself as well, seeing as you're my ride to school and back."

Jim laughed, reaching out to her. "C'mon, let's go for a ride."

She took his hand and climbed on the back, wrapping her arms around her waist, which she had done so often.

He started the bike and it took off, amazingly smooth on the rocky road. It practically floated over the terrain noiselessly. They road down the road for a long time, just enjoying the feeling of the wind in their hair and the smooth ride underneath them.

After a while, Jim stopped. "Where are we?" Tori asked, laughing.

"Who cares? All I know is that you are the best and I love you."

Things fell awkwardly silent between them. Tori shifted uncomfortably behind him, wrapping her arms around Jim tighter and resting her head on his back. He gently stepped off the bike, and she glanced at him questioningly. "C'mon, let's just lay here and look at the stars for a while."

She joined, and they both lay down in the grass. "I love the stars." Tori commented. "That's what you were doing when we met. Watching the stars."

"Yep." Jim said. He glanced over at her. Her face was still turned up to the sky, slightly smiling. "I'm glad you trespassed that day."

She laughed, turning to glance at him. "Me too."

"Thanks for the bike."

"Thanks for being my first best friend."

Jim smiled. "Thanks for being here for me."

"Thanks for making me smile."

Jim paused, taking a deep breath. "Thanks for teaching me how to love."

Tori glanced over at him, and they locked eyes for a long moment. "Thanks for making my heart stop every time I look at you."

Jim grinned one of his trademark grins. "Thanks for kissing me."

Tori's eyes lit up, and she smiled. Jim placed his hand on the back of her head and leaned in, sending their lips together and a series of shocks passed through his body.

It was like no kiss he had ever had. Yes, Jim Kirk had had a few girlfriends before, but none had been so _real_. There was no sense of lust, no sense of rush, just pure love and need. Tori leaned into him more, throwing her arms around his neck, and Jim held onto her waist.

Pure, utter happiness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They woke up in the morning tangled together. Jim woke first to find Tori pressed tightly against him, her head on his chest. His arms were wrapped protectively around him, claiming her as his own.

"I love you, Jimbo." Tori whispered, stirring slightly.

"Love you, too." Jim pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Shit." Tori cursed, a word she had learned from her time spent with Jim. Suddenly she was up, her eyes wide with fear. "My dad!"

"Damn." Jim muttered, glancing at her in sadness. "Think he can wait a while?"

"Jim, come on!"

Jim reluctantly climbed onto his motorcycle and Tori followed suit. When she wrapped her arms around his waist, it was different this time. Her touch sent shock waves through his body, and he grinned, turning to kiss her again. She returned the kiss, but then pushed him back. "Jim, we need to go!"

They soared back to their houses, Jim dropping off Tori. Before she left, he wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed his lips to her's. She returned the kiss, and then reluctantly backed away, hurrying into her house.

Jim drove home, climbed up the hay, and entered his room. He collapsed on the bed with a content sigh.

Never had Jim Kirk felt this way about someone else. He loved his mother, yes, but that was entirely different. He had never loved this way.

--

If one had thought Jim and Tori were inseparable before, now they were practically joined at the hip. Jim almost always had his arm around her, and a smile always graced Tori's features when contact was made. School started and flew by quickly, and the end of their senior year was upon them.

Tori lay in Jim's bed and he sat next to her. She was rubbing his back gently in circular motions, and he grinned. "So…Prom?" Jim brought up casually.

"Is that your invitation? Because if it is, it sucks." Tori joked.

Jim bounded off the bed and got down on one knee before Tori, his face breaking into a mock desperate grin. Tori laughed as he took her hand.

"Tori, the love of my life, my everything, please, _please _go to prom with me!" Jim shouted, sinking to the floor and purposely making his voice take on a begging tone.

"Well that's a bit better, I suppose." Tori laughed again. "Yes! I honestly didn't think even asking was necessary."

"Well, you never know." Jim said, standing again. A devilish grin graced his handsome features, and Tori rose her eyebrows in confusion. And then Jim pounced, pinning her to the bed. Tori squealed happily, and he leaned down to kiss her.

Tori pushed him off and stood, walking to the window. "Where are you going?" Jim questioned curiously.

"I gotta buy a dress!"

"Right _now?"_

"James, I've been dreaming about this moment my whole life. Bye!" And with that she hopped out the window, disappearing from sight. Jim sighed, running a hand through his blond hair.

---

The night of prom came quickly. Jim picked her up and they drove to the school in an actual car, Tori refusing to mess up her dress on the bike.

She was wearing a strapless white dress that reached her knees. It had a light blue sash tied around her waist, and to match she wore the same color of blue ribbon in her hair. Her hair was down in curls, something she had never done before.

Jim felt extremely lucky.

He had never thought he would ever look forward to prom, and he was right. He wasn't exactly looking forward to waltzing about a room with a bunch of other classmates that he hardly even liked. But Tori had dreamed of prom since she was little, so he obliged.

They reached the school and Jim opened her door for her, helping her out of the car and led her to the door.

When they entered the gym of their school, it had been transformed for the prom. There was a fountain off to the side that was new, and tables set up with punch and snacks. Music was already playing, and there were a bunch of couples in the middle of the floor waltzing about together.

Tori excitedly led Jim to the dance floor, and he took her waist as she gently rest her hands on his shoulders. Tori rest her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. Maybe this prom thing wouldn't be so bad.

They danced through slow songs, fast songs, and songs that he didn't know what the hell they were. Prom wasn't even halfway over, either.

Tori sighed as a song came on that had already been played three times. "Let's go, Jim. We can have more fun somewhere else."

Jim happily agreed and followed her to the car he had borrowed for the night. "Where do you wanna go?" Jim asked.

"My house. My parents went out to some vacation spot for the night, so it's empty."

Jim liked the sound of that.

He practically floored it to her house and came to a screeching halt in front of it. He opened Tori's door and grabbed her in his arms, and she happily squealed, giggling.

He carried her inside and up to what he knew was her room, throwing her on the bed. He climbed on top of her, crashing his lips into hers.

Tori ran her hands through his hair, and he moved to her neck. She moaned, and Jim retreated for a moment, holding up his arms so that she could grab the edge of his dress shirt and pull it up over his head. She obeyed.

Jim's hands found the zipper on her back, and he quickly undid it. She assisted him in pulling the dress up over her head, leaving her in only her bra and underwear. Jim tore off his own pants and hungrily kissed her again.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Tori asked in-between kisses, out of breath.

"Yes." Jim whispered, and descended on her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jim woke to an empty bed. He groaned and got up, pulling on his dress pants and walking to the kitchen. Tori was there, and she smiled upon seeing him. "What's for breakfast?" Jim moaned, sitting down at the table.

"Pancakes." Tori responded, slapping down a plate in front of him. She sat down opposite him, beginning to chew on her own breakfast.

"Awesome." Jim responded, grabbing his fork and shoving the food in his mouth.

"You eat like a pig." Tori laughed.

"Hey, I'm hungry."

They finished up their meal and retreated to the couch, Tori lying on top of Jim. "I love you, Jimbo." She whispered, pressing her face against his bare chest.

"I love you, too. When do your parents come back?"

"This afternoon."

Jim silently cursed, wishing they would never come back. This was so heavenly, so great, so peaceful. It was the greatest that Jim had ever felt.

"How'd you like your prom?" Jim asked, a grin gracing his features.

"I _loved _it." Tori leaned forward to kiss Jim. "It was the best night of my life."

"Mine too."

The afternoon came all too soon, and Jim grabbed his clothes and left, driving the rental car to his house before Tori's parents arrived. Tori didn't want them to find out, and Jim understood. Her dad was pretty scary if you were on his bad side.

Jim crawled into his bed, intending to catch up on some much needed sleep. He closed his eyes, falling asleep instantly.

---

The next day they went out to eat and then lay down in Tori's pasture to gaze up at the stars. It soon began to get late, and Tori said she should probably get back to her house before her parents got upset.

They walked down the dirt path to Tori's house, hand in hand. Tori giggled when he brought her closer, pressing her body tightly against him. "Hey, you know I've been thinking."

"Really?"

"Yeah…and you know how you always wanted to join Starfleet together? Well…I've been thinking…maybe we could do that."

Tori's eyes lit up. He smiled down at her. "Really? You really mean it, Jimmy?"

"Of course."

"Oh my God! I'd love to! I'd have to ask my parents first, of course." She smiled, glancing up at the stars as if imagining herself up there one day. "That'd be so much fun, Jim." As soon as his name left her mouth, her body trembled with wracking coughs. He supported her, his heart skipping a beat.  
"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Tori managed to get out in-between coughs. "I'll be fine." Her body trembled. "Just getting a little sick, is all. I'm gonna go home, Jim."

"Yeah, ok. Get better, alright?"

He walked her to her front door. She coughed the entire way there, and Jim supported her shaking body against his own. "I'm just sick, Jim, relax." She said, laughing slightly at his worried expression. "I love you." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him and then entering the door to her home.

She had always been especially frail, like she was going to break at any moment. She had gone through a few coughing spells before, and this was no different than before.

But the next day she wasn't at school. It was only a few more weeks until graduation. When Jim got home, he messaged her, but she didn't reply. He walked to her house and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He became increasingly worried with each passing moment.

The second day that Tori was absent from class, Jim began to feel sick. All the teachers didn't call her name when calling roll, which was unusual.

Jim pushed himself up out of his seat without invitation and walked to his English teacher's desk. Mrs. Zinnermen looked up at him, and for a moment Jim's heart stopped. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and an unexplainable sadness. "Jim, please join the principle in his office, please." She whispered, her eyes showing pity. Pity? "Take your bag, too, Jim."

Jim walked to his seat and hefted up his bag onto his shoulder. He walked to the office, all the while his mind making cruel explanations of this in his head. Was Tori alright? Was this even about her?

When he entered, the principle gestured to a seat across from his desk. Jim sat.

"Mr. Kirk...how are you?"

"Could we get straight to the point?" Jim asked, fidgeting slightly in his seat.

"Right, well, if you insist." Mr. Hamilton glanced down at the desk, and then returned his eyes to Jim. The same sadness, the same pity appeared in his eyes. "I'm very sorry, James. I'm very sorry. Ms. Tori is dead."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jim's entire world went spiraling. Wake up, wake up. Please. Wake up. Stop it. Tori. Wake me up, Tori. Kiss me, slap me, joke with me, wake me up, please.

Before he even knew what he was doing, his head had slumped forward and he had caught it with his hands. Tears poured from his eyes, tears he didn't understand, because he had not accepted it. She was _not _dead. He was lying. "Liar!" He shouted, hoping it would assure him more if said aloud.

"James, I'm sorry. She was born with a rare disease. She's been fighting it all her life, but it finally claimed her."

No, no no no no.

"No, you're wrong, you don't know what you're talking about!" Jim yelled, bringing his fists slamming down on the desk before him. The principal sat back in his seat, observing Jim as he beat his fists down on the table.

"James-"

"Shut up! _Shut up!_"

"Calm down, James."

"She would've told me! She would've _told_ me!"

"Perhaps she did not want you to bear the burden that she already had to bear."

Jim's brow furrowed together, and he brought his hands to his face.

His face was wet.

He didn't understand.

Without a word, Jim stood so abruptly that it sent his chair flying backwards. He walked to the door and slammed it behind him, the principal watching him go, his hands clasped together on the desk without saying a word.

Jim stormed out of the building with his bag slung over his shoulder carelessly. He hopped on his motorcycle and sped away from the school he would never return to.

He would never go back.

At the funeral, Jim didn't allow himself to cry. He stood next to Tori's mother and father, who never stopped crying.

At the end, Tori's mother turned to him and reached into her purse, taking out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Jim.

His name was at the top, and he looked up questioningly. "Tori wanted me to give it to you when she…after she…would be gone."

Jim silently unfolded the piece of paper.

_Jim,_

_If you're reading this, then that must mean that I've died. Ha, it's weird to write that._

_I'm sorry that I never told you. I didn't want you to know. You may be angry at me for not telling you, but I didn't want the pity. If you would have known, you would have looked at me like a bomb about to go off. You would have lived in fear that every day would be the last, and I didn't want that._

_I'm sorry. I love you, Jimbo. I love you so much. I'll always be there. _

_Thank you for being my first best friend. Thank you for being there for you for loving me. _

_I love you. _

_I wish we could've joined Starfleet._

_I wish we could've gotten married._

_I wish we could've had children._

_I wish we could've grown old together._

_I wish we could've been happy, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be. _

_I hope that you'll be strong. I love you. I could never tell you that enough._

_Goodbye, Jim_

_Love, Tori_

The tears came. Jim didn't want them to come. He wiped them away, and he turned away from her parents. He ran.

Jim hopped on his bike, tossing his dress jacket to the ground and speeding away.

Jim drove all the way to a bar and ordered one beer, two, three, four.

Jim brought another beer to his lips and drained it easily. He would never join Starfleet. He would never open himself up for this again.

Jim felt _lonely_.

He had never felt lonely. And he had never wanted to.

He hated the feeling. He would do anything to make it go away.

So began the many visits to bars.

So began the need for a woman in his bed every night.


End file.
